Folding leg table and actuator means



July 4, 1950 [5. E. HOOD FOLDING LEG TABLE AND ACTUATOR MEANS Filed 'July 21, 194'? INVENTOR Bf/K/flMl/V 5. H000,

Y a/ 1 3 3 f n m1 w 3 1/ //A w M Patented July 4, 1950 FOLDING LEG TABLE AND ACTUATOR MEANS i Benjamin E. Hood, South Fairlington, Va., as-

signor of one-tenth Washington, D. C.

tov Robert B. Harmon,

Application July 21, 1947, Serial N 0. 762,266

1 Claim.

This invention relates to tables with folding supports and has for a primary object to provide means for extending and retracting a plurality of supports for the table by the proper manipulation of any single support.

A more specific object is to provide a table having a simple manually operable means for extending and retracting two sets of paired. legs supporting the table.

A further object is to provide a table in which either one of a pair of supporting legs may be moved to the extended or retracted position and thereby cause simultaneous and similar movement of a second pair of supporting legs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a table with a lever actuating means interconnected between two sets of paired supporting legs to permit all of the legs to be extended or retracted by the manual extension or retraction of any one of the legs.

A further object is to provide a table having extensible and retractable legs, the manual movement of any one of the legs imparting similar move to the other legs and having a positive means for locking the legs in whichever of the two extreme positions they are placed.

With the foregoing, and other objects in View, the invention resides in the following specification and appended claims, certain embodiments and details of construction of which are shown in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a partially cutaway View in perspective of the invention.

Figure 2 isa sectional View in side elevation showing the invention with the table legs extended.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional View in side elevation similar to Figure 2 but including a locking means.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a table shown generally as I has a top 2 supported adjacent its periphery and on its underside by four interconnected beams 3. Rotatably mounted along their longitudinal axes and between two of the beams 3 are two cross arms l and 5. The cross arms ll and 5 are preferably rovided with steel bearing rods 5 pressfitted into bores l of their respective ends. The rods 6 are placed on cup-shaped receiving bores 8 in the beams 3 during assembly of the beams, the bores 8 being of slightly greater diameter than the diameter of the rods 6.

Secured to each of the cross arms 4 and 5 by rivets 9 are T-shaped brackets l0, ll, l2 and I3. The upper portion [4 of each of the brackets encircles the periphery of the cross arms in each case. Brackets I0, ll, I2 and I3 have cylindrical lower portions IE to receive legs 19. The legs are press-fitted into the cylindrical bracket portions, but rivets 20 are provided to assure a permanent retention therein.

Referring to Fig. 3, a leaf spring 25 is secured by screws 26 to beam 3. Arm 2'! of the spring 25 includes a pawl 28 and a handle 29. When the legs is are in the extended position the pawl 28 engages notch 3! in cross-arm 4, forming a positive lock therewith and preventing further rotation of cross-arm 4. The pawl 28 is manually disengaged from engagement with notch it by merely pulling the handle 29 normally with regard to the cross-arm 4. The pawl 28 in a like manner engages a notch 38 in cross -arm l when the legs I9 are in the retracted position. Disengagement of pawl 28 with notch 30 is similar to the previously described extended leg condition.

A non-resilient rod 33 is used to interconnect cross-arms 4 and 5. The rod 33 is provided with oppositely curved end portions 3d and 35 to fit about the portions of the periphery of crossarms 4 and 5 adjacent to their respective points of attachment. The end portions 34 and 35 of the rod 33 are perforated to receive a pivot pin 36 which pivotally secures each end of said rod to brackets 31 on opposite sides of each crossarm. The brackets 31 are secured to their respective cross-arms at such points as will permit a full retraction or extension of leg IS, without a contact resulting between either of the end portions 34 and 35 and the cross-arms l and 5.

Operation of the invention is obvious from the drawings. By manually moving any one of the four legs is to the extended or retracted position, after disengaging the locking mechanism, the other three legs are simultaneously moved to the same position. Thus in Figure 2 if any leg is moved from the extended position, the crossarms 4 and 5 will be moved counterclockwise and clockwise respectively by the rod 33 to simultaneously move the other leg; to the retracted position. When the retracted position is reached by the legs, pawl 28 will engage notch 3i to lock the crossarm 4 against further r0-- tation. The use of the oppositely curved end portions 34 and 35 on rod 33 gives the operating mechanism the necessary leverage to permit actuation of the legs and also provides an actuating means of this nature which may be com veniently hidden from View behind the sides 3 of an ordinary card table.

The rod acts as a lever arm between the crossarms 4 and 5. The leverage system thus formed is not afiected by the relatively short torque arm formed by the radius of the cross-arms, because the legs provide long lever arms and are also made of light weight, material.

A table, therefore, is provided with a simple and economical means to cause complete and" positive retraction or extension 'of-the supporting legs by the mere actuation of any one of the legs.

I claim:

A table, two sets of paired'legs for supporting the table, a crossarm of circular cross section forming a part of each set of :ipaireddegs-sand having an extended portion beyond said legs, means in the table to receive the extended portions of said cross arms and to rotatably carry said crossarms, a non-resilient rod having oppositely curved-end portions substantially conforming to-the-curvature of the crossarmsand disposed in a-planeat right anglesto the-cross- -arms, and a bracket secured to the periphery-of each of said crossarms and positioned on op- .said rod :50 that its curvature will conform to "the curvature of the other crossarm when the legs are moved to the retracted position.

BENJAMIN E. HOOD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ffilei'o'i i this 2 patent 2 -UNI-TEDSTATES PATENTS Number Name Date 437,151 Gore Sept. 23, 1890 "893,031 Stone July 14, 1908 1,522,030 Robinson Jan. 6, 1925 1,534,470 =Smith Apr. 21, 1925 "-1=,879;649 --Wilkinson Sept.'27, 1932 =-2-;050,67-7 Wa1dsc'hoc'k Aug. 11, 1936 2,223,068 *I-lovve Nov. 26, 1940 2,225,512 -Stiles Dec. 17, 1940 

